Thistle and Weed

Thistle and Weed is a collaboration born in 2015 between two families whose surnames — Terblanche and Wiid — hint at the brand's playful name. Etienne Terblanche, a viticulturist with an instinct for finding overlooked vineyard gems, and Stephanie Wiid, a winemaker who earned her stripes at Fairview before being named Tim Atkin's Young Winemaker of the Year in his 2024 South Africa Special Report, set out to make wines that are honest, site-specific, and deeply connected to the Cape's wild landscape.

Their cellar sits on Leef op Hoop Farm in the Jonkershoek foothills outside Stellenbosch, but the vineyards that supply Thistle and Weed are scattered across the Western Cape's most compelling terroirs — old bush vines on the Paardeberg in the Swartland, steep granite slopes in Paarl's Damarakloof, hillside plantings overlooking Stellenbosch, and experimental blocks in Piekenierskloof. Every wine in the portfolio is named after a South African thistle or weed, drawing a parallel between the tenacious plants that colonise the margins of vineyards and the tough, drought-resistant vines that produce the most characterful fruit.

The white wines are the heart of the operation. Three single-vineyard Chenin Blancs — Springdoring from 1982 Swartland bush vines on pure granite, Duwweltjie from 62-year-old vines in Paarl's Damarakloof, and Brandnetel from a 1980 Stellenbosch hillside planting with over 33 different rootstocks — form one of the most compelling Chenin Blanc collections in the Cape. Each expresses a radically different terroir through the same variety, and all three are made with minimal intervention to let site speak louder than cellar.

The Khakibos Cape White Blend weaves together Verdelho, Chenin Blanc, Alvarinho, Palomino, and Fernao Pires — varieties chosen for their drought resistance and their affinity with the Portuguese-inspired blending tradition that is gaining momentum in the Cape. On the red side, Knapsekerel is a biodynamic Cabernet Franc from Stellenbosch that showcases the variety's potential in the Cape, while Nastergal is a red blend of Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional, Souzao, and Touriga Francesa — a nod to the Iberian heritage that runs through South African viticulture.

Tastings at the Jonkershoek cellar are an experience worth booking. For R180 per person, visitors taste through six wines in an intimate setting surrounded by the dramatic mountains of the Jonkershoek Valley. This is not a mass-market operation — Thistle and Weed produces small volumes from old vines, and the wines sell out quickly. For visitors who care about terroir, Chenin Blanc, and the new wave of Cape winemaking, this is an essential stop.